Salt shaker



Nov. 14,, 1939. s. s. TSURUTA SALT SHAKER Filed June 11 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to salt shakers, the primary object of the invention being to provide a salt shaker having a self-closing top or cap, to exclude moisture from the salt contained therein.

An important object of the invention is to provide a salt shaker of this character having a closure which will swing to its operative or discharging position when the salt shaker is inverted, thereby eliminating the necessity of manually operating a slide or similar closure to remove the salt therefrom.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein described, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a salt shaker equipped with a closure constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the closure, in its discharging position.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through the closure in its closed position.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the body portion of the salt shaker is indicated by the reference character 5, and may be of any desired construction or design.

The removable shaker top or cap is indicated by the reference character 6, and as shown, is threaded on the threaded end of the body portion 5. The removable top or cap 6 is hollow, and formed with a circular opening I, which is normally closed by means of the spherical closure 3 that is pivotally mounted on the pin 9 which extends transversely through the member 8 and cap 6, at a point below the opening 1 thereof.

The closure 8 is weighted at one side of the pivot pin 9, as at ID, to cause the closure 8 to pivot by gravity and automatically assume an open or closed position, according to the position of the body portion 5. Substantially large elongated openings II are formed in the spherical closure 8, at a point adjacent to the pivot pin 9, and in proximity to the weighted portion H), with the result that salt, or the contents of the body portion 5, may pass into the spherical closure 8, when the spherical closure 8, moves to a discharging position as shown by Figure 2 of the drawing;

Formed in the weighted portion of the member 8, are discharge openings i2, through which the salt or material contained in the body portion may pass from the body portion, when the shaker is inverted. From the foregoing it will be seen that due to the construction shown and described, the closure 8, will move to its closing position as indicated by Figure 1 of the drawing, when the body portion is placed in an upright position on a supporting surface, and that when the closure 8 is rotated by inverting the body portion 5, the weighted portion I!) of the closure 8 will gravitate to a position exposing the discharge openings l2, as shown by Figure 2 of the drawing. The salt or material will pass into the spherical member 8, and discharge therefrom through the opening 12.

I claim:

1. In a salt shaker, a body portion, having a discharge opening, a hollow spherical closure pivotally mounted within the. discharge opening, said closure having openings whereby material passes from the body portion into the closure, said closure having discharge openings, and the portion of the closure having the openings being weighted to rotate the closure to either its closed position or discharging position.

2. In a salt shaker, a body portion, having an opening, a hollow spherical closure pivotally mounted within the opening and adapted to normally close the body portion, said spherical closure having enlarged openings through which salt passes into the spherical closure, said closure having discharge openings, and the portion of the closure having the openings being weighted to rotate the closure moving the closure to its closed position when the body portion is positioned on a supporting surface, and said weighted portion adapted to rotate the closure to its discharging position when the body portion is inverted.

SAM S. TSURUTA. 

